Chapter 313

Chapter 313. What is this…? (4)

The surprise at Kalanon’s figure, which had appeared much more mature than before, lasted only an instant before Alon felt a doubt.

“?”

Kalanon’s body, which had clearly grown all at once, began to slowly shrink.

“Ah…”

She had returned to the body of a small girl.

“……What was that just now?”

“My original form…”

As soon as she returned to the child’s body, Kalanon spoke again with the same formal tone as before.

“Uuugh— as expected, maintaining the true form… for now, this is my limit.”

Then she stretched while looking at Alon.

“Anyway, have you been well all this time?”

“…Yes, I’ve been well.”

“Perhaps… were you also worried about me?”

“Well… worried… I suppose so, somewhat.”

Although to be precise, it was more curiosity than worry.

It had already been more than a year since the last time Kalanon had shown herself to Alon.

When he nodded, Kalanon responded with a satisfied “hmm-hmm” and with her head held high.

“You don’t need to worry so much. I, for my part, have been preparing a lot!”

“Preparing for what?”

“Preparing to survive, of course!”

“Survive?”

“Yes. Remember what I told you before? That I was also doing some things to be able to stay alive.”

“It’s true…”

Since all the divinity was concentrating on Alon, she had said she was preparing various things.

It seems she had made a lot of progress.

When Alon nodded his head—

“I finally finished it!”

“…Finished what?”

“This!”

Kalanon smiled with total confidence and then—

“…”

[Ungnya!]

—she transformed into a blue cat.

No, strictly speaking, rather than a blue cat…

‘…Like Blackie?’

She looked a bit like Blackie.

The difference was that, unlike Blackie, her body looked more defined.

And she had the crown she wore when manifesting as Kalanon before Alon on her head.

Also, her fur was very fluffy and her tail longer.

[Nya!]

While Alon looked thoughtfully at Kalanon’s sudden transformation, he heard the meow.

“…I don’t understand cat language.”

[Nyaaa!]

As Alon just stared at her, Kalanon immediately returned to her girl form.

“Sorry… when I transform like that, I can’t speak.”

“…And that is the form in which you plan to survive?”

“Yes, why?”

“Well… I don’t understand the connection.”

“Ah, really?”

“……What does turning into a cat have to do with surviving as a god?”

“You don’t understand anything.”

At Alon’s observation, Kalanon shook her head with an expression of ‘oh, you still have a long way to go.’

“That way I can survive as a pet!“

She declared proudly.

“Pet—?”

“The last time I transformed, I grew a horn, remember?”

“Yes.”

“Well, it’s the same.”

“So you mean to say that… you will stay by my side as a sort of pet? Is that what you mean?”

“Exactly! That way my personal recognition will rise naturally.”

Kalanon laughed “fufufu” and murmured: “What do you think? It’s a perfect plan.”

She seemed very satisfied with her idea.

Alon, however, still thought—

…Is it really a good idea to turn into an animal?

But he also felt he had some responsibility that Kalanon had ended up like this, so…

“So now you’re going to go around in that form?”

He decided not to object and simply asked.

Kalanon nodded.

“Yes! In fact, I hadn’t been able to come out until now because I needed to gather enough divinity to exist outside. Although I will remain manifested here.”

“Here?”

“Inside the Divine Land you created.”

That way I can gather divinity safely! —added Kalanon.

“Thank you for creating it! You saved me!”

“…Well, yes.”

“Then, see you in a bit!”

With that, she directly destroyed the world of the blue galaxy.

And when Alon opened his eyes again—

In front of him, a blue sphere was forming.

“Eh?”

“Hm?”

[Hm?]

The others expressed their astonishment upon seeing the blue sphere.

But shortly after, the shape of the sphere began to distort and immediately became small.

[Nya!]

And it turned into the same blue cat Alon had seen in the Milky Way.

“……What is this all of a sudden?”

“Yes, what…?”

Evan and Penia asked, bewildered, seeing the cat appear out of nowhere.

Alon explained that it was actually Kalanon.

“Hooh~ now that you mention it, it does look like a cat… with a horn.”

“It’s true.”

[Hoong~]

Evan, Penia, and Basiliora were looking fascinated at the creature when—

[Kkyu?]

Blackie, who a moment before was sleeping in Alon’s chest pocket, opened his eyes very round, jumped onto the desk, and stared fixedly at Kalanon.

Blackie moved his head from side to side.

He was so surprised that it looked like his head was going to spin 360 degrees.

Then, with a somewhat haughty expression, he looked at Kalanon again.

[Kkyu—]

And he immediately returned to the pocket where he was.

“…What was that?”

“Good question.”

[Hmph. It seems he is ridiculously jealous.]

That conversation lasted little.

While he watched Kalanon walk curiously all over the place, Alon—

“So, Lord Marquis, did you check?”

“Ah.”

He closed his eyes again upon hearing Evan’s question and examined his interior.

“…Surprisingly, it hasn’t increased that much.”

After confirming the accumulated divinity, he answered like that.

“Eh? Really? How strange. I thought a huge amount would have accumulated.”

Evan tilted his head, puzzled.

Alon reflected for a moment and said:

“It’s not something that hard to understand.”

“No?”

“After all, those who came here did so because of the ‘rumors’.”

“Ah.”

Evan nodded.

“You said that if there is no solid faith, divinity does not accumulate.”

“Exactly.”

“Hmm~ then I suppose the situation will soon return to normal.”

“In fact, I also felt a bit at ease upon confirming it.”

With a neutral but relieved expression, Alon looked at the barracks full of people.

After speaking with Cheonggwi, the group remained about a month in the Divine Land, and when Alon decided it was time to go see the King of the Hundred Ghosts, they returned to the Marquis Palatio House.

And days later—

The Divine Land was in an uproar.

Or, to be more precise—

The atmosphere among the originally selected soldiers and knights hadn’t changed much, but among the knights and mercenaries who had entered as subjects, confusion reigned.

It was all because of Kalanon’s power.

“They told us that if we trained in the Divine Land we could use power… but nothing.”

“Yeah, I’ve been here almost a month.”

“Ugh, so it was a silly rumor?”

“If you think about it, the idea that anyone could use power just by training here sounds absurd.”

“Exactly. That power was only for Kalanon’s followers.”

Alon had never said that, but the mercenaries and knights who came for distorted rumors were now discovering the truth and feeling disappointed.

“Hmm— so, what do we do?”

“What else? Leave. If we can’t use any power, there’s no reason to stay here.”

“You’re right. It’s better to go back to Lartania.”

While that kind of conversation spread—

“Long time no see, Silly.”

“Long time no see, Brother.”

Silly Makalian arrived at the Divine Land and met with Deus.

“Is the training going well?”

“Yes, but—”

“Ah, I know. You’re talking about the mercenaries and knights who have come because of the rumors, right?”

…He knew?

“Yes, before coming with you, I was listening to people.”

“I see…”

Deus nodded briefly.

“But there’s no need to worry so much. We didn’t plan to keep the mercenaries and knights who don’t believe in the Marquis here anyway. They could be an obstacle to the Marquis’s grand plans.”

He tried to reassure her.

But Silly, with a curious expression, asked:

“Eh? What do you mean, Brother?”

“Well, when they leave, don’t worry. Even if they leave, we already have enough personnel.”

Deus explained again.

But Silly shook her head again.

“But that’s the strange part.”

“Strange?”

“Yes. No one has left yet. And no one will leave.”

She smiled while saying it.

…Something about that smile made Deus’s skin crawl.

“R-really?”

“Of course.”

…Even though they already know the rumors were false?

To that question, Silly thought for a moment, then denied.

“Brother.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s be honest. The distorted rumors were too absurd.”

“…To be honest, yes.”

“Then, why did they come believing them?”

“Well…”

Deus reflected.

“Because they got carried away. Or because perhaps… they believed it could be true.”

“Correct. But the important part is the second one.”

“The second—?”

“The part about ‘perhaps it could be true’.”

Silly looked outside, toward the endless line of people entering the Divine Land.

“Brother… do you see those people inside, who are now complaining?”

“Yes.”

“They already know the rumors were false. But why don’t they leave?”

While Deus thought, Silly answered:

“Hope.”

“…Hope?”

“Yes. Even knowing the rumors were false, everyone holds onto a small hope. Everyone thinks: ‘What if…?’ And that is enough.”

“E-enough for what?”

Silly didn’t answer.

She only looked at some distant point with her purple eyes and—

“That person will do.”

She smiled and took two books out of her chest.

Books with a blue leather cover.

“Here, Brother.”

“Hmm… this?”

“Read it.”

Deus opened the book without speaking.

And then—

“…It is…”

He easily noticed that it was a holy scripture.

And not just any: it was a scripture about Marquis Palatio, written by Silly herself.

When he understood it, he looked up, and then he realized:

Silly —who was in front of him before— was now heading toward a weak-looking knight in the distance.

When she arrived in front of the knight, she spoke:

“Hello, knight.”

“You are…?”

“I am the Saintess of Kalanon, Silly Makalian.”

“…You?”

“Yes. You see—”

She smiled.

“I believe it won’t be long now until you can use Kalanon’s power.”

“R-really?”

“Yes. That is why—”

She carefully extended the blue book to him.

“Do you wish for me to help you a little?”

While her purple eyes shone with a depth impossible to ignore.